Interesting tidbit on the 1959 food poisoning incident....

[CTOkie]

before the Northwestern game.
20 Oklahoma players were stricken on Thursday night at the Chez Paree Restaurant. Upon the team's arrival there, a waitress met them and took them to a table where an older man and a "good looking girl" were seated.....and she asked the players what position they played and who the starting players were. A fruit appetizer was then served to selected players instead of straight down the line. Within 30 minutes, several players were in the bathroom vomiting. The starting QB, two starting halfbacks and four other players were hospitalized...out of a total of 20 players who were stricken. Only one of the players missed the game, but there's no way the quality of play by OU was what it had to be.
The day before the game, the point spread went from 6 points to 3 points.
No serious investigation was ever done.
Northwestern, coached by Ara Parseghian, was 6-3 that year, losing its last three games.
A year later (1960), Parseghian took his Northwestern team to Norman and beat OU again, 19-3....after telling his team before the game that many thought his team's 45-13 win a year earlier was tainted by the food poisoning incident. After spotting OU a 3-0 lead, Northwestern took over the game.

 

[Oklabama]

The 1960 team was not very good. ‘59 was the last of Bud’s great players from the good years. The one that sticks out for me was the year we started off 0-5 and then won the last five. (‘61). I remember how few attended the Nebraska game that year.

 

[mcbrider]

The 1960 team was not very good. ‘59 was the last of Bud’s great players from the good years. The one that sticks out for me was the year we started off 0-5 and then won the last five. (‘61). I remember how few attended the Nebraska game that year.

I was a 15 year old kid in 1959 and I remember that game. Wasn’t it played in a rain storm. Northwestern had a QB named Thornton if I remember. The 60 and 61 teams were bad. I wonder why OU players or coaches did not pick up on the fact that only selected players were served the fruit appetizer. Off topic here. But I have often wondered if OU had gone after Darrell Royal in 1963 after Bud retired, would Royal have come back to his alma mata. But after the two Gomer Jones years (64,65) he probably thought Texas was the better job.

 

[Oklabama]

I was a 15 year old kid in 1959 and I remember that game. Wasn’t it played in a rain storm. Northwestern had a QB named Thornton if I remember. The 60 and 61 teams were bad. I wonder why OU players or coaches did not pick up on the fact that only selected players were served the fruit appetizer. Off topic here. But I have often wondered if OU had gone after Darrell Royal in 1963 after Bud retired, would Royal have come back to his alma mata. But after the two Gomer Jones years (64,65) he probably thought Texas was the better job.

I thought OU did take a run at Royal but maybe that was later on.

 

[mcbrider]

I thought OU did take a run at Royal but maybe that was later on.

They did after Gomer Jones left in 1965. But Royal turned them down

 

[CTOkie]

I thought OU did take a run at Royal but maybe that was later on.

I think OU did when Wilkinson retired in 1963. Royal had too good a thing going at Texas then and could get any white player in Texas he wanted. I think it's possible he could have used Wilkinson's recruitment of blacks against OU as well....Gautt, Johnson, McQuarters, Flowers and including Hart and Ross (freshmen in 1963).
Royal's refusal to recruit blacks up until 1970-71 must not have been known to Earl and his mother.

 

[mcbrider]

I think OU did when Wilkinson retired in 1963. Royal had too good a thing going at Texas then and could get any white player in Texas he wanted. I think it's possible he could have used Wilkinson's recruitment of blacks against OU as well....Gautt, Johnson, McQuarters, Flowers and including Hart and Ross (freshmen in 1963).
Royal's refusal to recruit blacks up until 1970-71 must not have been known to Earl and his mother.

I could be wrong here but I don’t think they ever considered Royal after Bud retired in 1963. Out of loyalty to Bud and his wishes they promoted Gomer Jones to Head Coach. I didn’t think they actively went after Royal until Jones stepped down after the 65 season. After that McKenzie along with Fairbanks and Switzer came to OU and the rest is history. The 1970 Texas Team is the last all white team to win a national championship (I think). Darrell Royal may have gone to OU but he became an orange blood through and through. Have no good feelings about that guy. Just my feelings.

 

[Senior Sooner]

I could be wrong here but I don’t think they ever considered Royal after Bud retired in 1963. Out of loyalty to Bud and his wishes they promoted Gomer Jones to Head Coach. I didn’t think they actively went after Royal until Jones stepped down after the 65 season. After that McKenzie along with Fairbanks and Switzer came to OU and the rest is history. The 1970 Texas Team is the last all white team to win a national championship (I think). Darrell Royal may have gone to OU but he became an orange blood through and through. Have no good feelings about that guy. Just my feelings.

This...

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

I'm curious to know if OU changed their future dining arrangements after this happened. Does anyone know or remember?

 

[Oklabama]

I'm curious to know if OU changed their future dining arrangements after this happened. Does anyone know or remember?

Good question.

 

[Senior Sooner]

I'm curious to know if OU changed their future dining arrangements after this happened. Does anyone know or remember?

It was 'Strongly Suggested' (Rumored) that Chez Paree, which opened in 1932, had strong Mob Affiliations. Hard to doubt, considering it was Chicago, after all. It was closed in 1960, the year following the 'Northwestern Incident'...

The Chez was highly regarded, at the time, and known as one of Chicago's 'Hot Spots'...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chez_Paree

 

[CTOkie]

Wonder what would happen now, in 2018, if such an incident happened to a college team.
I don't blame Northwestern for what happened 59 years ago. It appears to have been an "outside" job.

 

[iasooner1]

This is one of the reasons for being in the b1g West imo; 'payback' can be as fine as a Sooner Swirl the night before a Big game...

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

Fond memories remain for me with the Syracuse Negros beating all white Texas in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic. Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis scored twice.

 

[CTOkie]

Fond memories remain for me with the Syracuse Negros beating all white Texas in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic. Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis scored twice.

I was at the rematch of the LSU-Ole Miss Sugar Bowl that day in New Orleans.
I remember hearing about the near racial brawl during the Texas-Syracuse game and was glad that Syracuse beat Texas. Evidently, Royal's players were a reflection of him.

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

CT, The original Little Red of the Kiowa was getting little playing time at linebacker. He asked Coach Wilkinson if he might act as mascot after OU scores. Coach Wilkinson approved. The Little Red mascot dancing in the end zone tradition after scores was born. Coach Wilkinson was a class guy.

 

[Senior Sooner]

CT, The original Little Red of the Kiowa was getting little playing time at linebacker. He asked Coach Wilkinson if he might act as mascot after OU scores. Coach Wilkinson approved. The Little Red mascot dancing in the end zone tradition after scores was born. Coach Wilkinson was a class guy.

So was Little Red...

Phil traveled with the team, and was always a WONDERFUL Addition to the group...Well Loved by All...R.I.P. Little Red...

https://newsok.com/article/1546791/ous-original-little-red-dies-of-leukemia

 

[Oklabama]

Fond memories remain for me with the Syracuse Negros beating all white Texas in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic. Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis scored twice.

The Express is a great movie. Ernie Davis’ death was tragic. However, there were only a few Negros on that team and even less that played in the game. Regardless, Ernie Davis was the X factor and he (and his teammates) made college football history. Sure there were other black players back then playing college ball, but beating the Lilly White and highly ranked Longhorns and Darrell Royal in Dallas was a classic win for the ages. I never understood why Royal waited so long to sign a black player until I moved to Texas in 1971 and worked with Longhorn boosters. I am not giving Royal a pass, but I’m certain no one from UT was pushing him to recruit blacks.

 

[CTOkie]

An article in Sports Illustrated in 1967 about the recruiting of Jack Mildren mentioned the pressure put on him about going to Oklahoma and having to play with black players. Mildren’s intellect and moral compass was not influenced by such crap.

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

Senior Sooner. Thanks for the Phil reminder. He worked until his death trying to reestablish the tradition he created. A handful of Indian and fat white politically correct activists said to heck with the masses.

Fort Sill Indian School said no to me angering my father. My white mother said emphatic no to me when Lawton Dunbar said okay. The black girl behind me in senior English class at Lawton High would have been shot at Little Rock High or Waco Richfield. The Pohosicuts were welcome at Lawton High. My mother made my father his quart jar of ice water he carried under the car seat on Saturdays so he wouldn't have to deal with the WHITE ONLY and COLORED ONLY drinking fountains at Sears Roebuck & Company.

Today is a different world.

 

[iasooner1]

Yet Obama still will not embrace his half-white heritage

 

[Senior Sooner]

Senior Sooner. Thanks for the Phil reminder. He worked until his death trying to reestablish the tradition he created. A handful of Indian and fat white politically correct activists said to heck with the masses.

Fort Sill Indian School said no to me angering my father. My white mother said emphatic no to me when Lawton Dunbar said okay. The black girl behind me in senior English class at Lawton High would have been shot at Little Rock High or Waco Richfield. The Pohosicuts were welcome at Lawton High. My mother made my father his quart jar of ice water he carried under the car seat on Saturdays so he wouldn't have to deal with the WHITE ONLY and COLORED ONLY drinking fountains at Sears Roebuck & Company.

Today is a different world.

Good Read, Sunburnt...Far too many OU stories were 'swept under the rug', during the 'Transitional Years'. One of the most interesting began the day Prentice Gautt set foot on campus...Heartbreaker!

 

[Romulus]

I think OU could have landed Royal if they’d gone after him immediately after Bud retires and Gomer wanted no part of the job. But Royal wins the NC during those two years and he turns into a Texas legend.
Would love to find some books to read about that era of football.

 

[veritas59]

I think OU could have landed Royal if they’d gone after him immediately after Bud retires and Gomer wanted no part of the job. But Royal wins the NC during those two years and he turns into a Texas legend.
Would love to find some books to read about that era of football.

And then the King buried him. I think we turned out ok.

 

[Romulus]

There was definitely ebb and flow to the rivalry and OU turned out great. OU list 12 out of 13 to Royal
after he took over.
Love looking at the history of the rivalry and how it’s turned over the years

 

[veritas59]

There was definitely ebb and flow to the rivalry and OU turned out great. OU list 12 out of 13 to Royal
after he took over.
Love looking at the history of the rivalry and how it’s turned over the years

But here is how it ended:

Fairbanks won his last two against DKR, and Switzer went 3-0-1 against him. Royal's last game against OU was a 6-6 tie in 1976.

 

[CTOkie]

But here is how it ended:

Fairbanks won his last two against DKR, and Switzer went 3-0-1 against him. Royal's last game against OU was a 6-6 tie in 1976.

Fairbanks lost his first 4 to Royal (1967-1970), then won in 1971 and 1972 before leaving OU.
Somehow, someway I wish Royal had replaced Wilkinson after the 1959 season. Wilkinson seemed to have other ventures on his mind and his recruiting reflected this.
But then, how would the 1970's have turned out ?

 

[Schoonerman]

Yet Obama still will not embrace his half-white heritage

Really? A dig about Obama, which has absolutely nothing to do with the original post. Freaking fantastic.

 

[iasooner1]

From last June too; apologies. Everyone shows their a$$ sometimes. Don’t remember why but it must have been my turn

 

[Sunburnt Indian]

I take tremendous pride in all three of my father's races. The irony is, I had to get a little older before such a gift from the Great Father became apparent to me.

 

[WP76]

On the ESPN documentary about the Game of the Century in 1971, they said that the Huskers brought their own food because Devaney feared a food poisoning incident. I guess you can't be too careful. Then again, I don't think Sam Giancana has ever set foot in the Sooner State.

 

[iasooner1]

That’s why I heard it that way; thanks wp !
(My recollection of the food poisoning story was based on that game vs the 59 incident in Chicago)

 

[Plainosooner]

On the ESPN documentary about the Game of the Century in 1971, they said that the Huskers brought their own food because Devaney feared a food poisoning incident. I guess you can't be too careful. Then again, I don't think Sam Giancana has ever set foot in the Sooner State.

I know one of OUr managers broke into the Husker locker room and stole one of Jerry Tagge's tearaway jerseys the night before the game.

Wore it around campus a couple of times. Not the greatest idea.

 

[Plainosooner]

I think OU could have landed Royal if they’d gone after him immediately after Bud retires and Gomer wanted no part of the job. But Royal wins the NC during those two years and he turns into a Texas legend.
Would love to find some books to read about that era of football.

Bud retired after the season when UT won the national title: 1963. By then, especially with what he had coming back in Austin, there was no way he was taking the OU job.

The next season, they lost at home,14-13 to Arkansas, for their only loss of the season. Arkansas beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl to be undefeated, Jimmy Johnson and Jerrah Jones senior year. Then Texas beat undefeated top ranked Alabama in the first Orange Bowl night game making the Horns 10-1 the year after Bud retired.

In the Arkansas win, Texas' defense only gave up one TD, but Ken Hatfield's 81-yard punt return, the first score of the game, was the difference. The teams traded scores and Texas had one last successful drive late, to make it 14-13. They went for two, throwing unsuccessfully and suffered their only loss in two seasons.

In the OB, Bama tried to sneak Namath from the one, a great thrower, but playing on two bad knees, and Tommy Nobis stopped him and that gave Arky their only ever claim to an NC. Bama won the two primary polls, both voted on before the Bowl games, but Arkansas won a couple of minor NC's.

The point of all that, is that Royal had close to his best talent in '63 and 64. He wasn't leaving Austin and all its recruiting perks to return to his alma mater.

My junior year, there was a lot of speculation that Chuck Fairbanks and his entire staff might be fired at the end of the 1970 season. We'd been 6-4 with three blowout losses despite having the Heisman winner in 1969. Then we switched to the veer to start '70, but changed after an embarrassing loss to Oregon State at home. We were 3-3 heading to Ames and fell behind 21-0, before putting Greg Pruitt into the lineup. Saved the staff's jobs and started OU's second dynasty.

But when the Chuck Chuck bumper stickers were abundant, there was talk that we might try to lure DKR back. Again, he was stacked with studs in Austin. Before the turnaround, I'd hoped that maybe we'd get Emory Bellard. Most would think that Barry Switzer was a much better idea.

I'd think that Royal returning to Norman, would have made about as much sense as Arkansas luring Barry, after Frank Broyles retired in 1976.

Great coaches go to the places where they have the best chance to recruit, and win. Their alma maters have some appeal, but not as much as that.

 

[CTOkie]

OU may have had a chance to hire Royal after the 1959 or 1960 season, but certainly not after the 1963 season.
I really believe, however, that Royal saw early on that his best choice was Texas with its many recruiting resources and the fact that he did not have to coach a team with black players if he came to OU. Wallace Johnson (1958-60) and Prentice Gautt (1957-59) were on OU's 1957-59 roster during Royal's first three years at Texas.
Royal did not have a black player at Texas until he recruited Julius Whittier in 1969. To his credit, Royal found a way to eventually shed his bigotry.

 

[Plainosooner]

I don't think there is any direct evidence of DKR bigotry. It's mostly inferred by those who disliked him.

The African American high schools in Texas had their own, segregated organization for competition until the late 60's. I believe it was called PVIL.

There were certainly intergrated schools before that. Warren McVay became a legend in San Antonio before going to UHouston.

But Royal's personal views had less impact on how Texas recruited, than the school's academic leadership. The same accusations were made against Bear Bryant. There was likely some justification for the accusation for both. But both would have preferred the best players they could recruit. But there were a multitude of other factors.

Maybe most important was the sad fact that black kids in Texas, for a variety of reasons, received inferior public educations in that time frame.

In Plano, integration at the high school level came in 1964. It's not a coincidence that the school's first state title came a year later. We had several high quality black athletes. The first to get a football scholarship went to OU, after a year at juco. He started his first game, didn't perform up to expectations, didn't play much after, and left school shortly after the 1968 season. Because of a poor elementary education, he never really caught up academically. That was a very common tale.

Prentiss Gautt jumped through a lot of hoops, starting without a football scholarship at OU. He was chosen by African American professionals in OKC for an academic ship to attempt to integrate OU's football program. Gautt was successful at both football and academics, because he was a very bright man.

Texas recruited Whittier because he was a quality student. Same with Jerry Levias earlier at SMU.

The inherent racism at UT in the 60's and before had a whole lot more to do with Texas not recruiting a black athlete until the late 60's. Accusations of racism get tossed around way too often. If you want to call Royal a racist, you ought to have specific evidence of a personal racist act, rather than your personal inferences based on the institutional racism of his employer.

 

[WP76]

Good luck trying to convince any Razorback fan that they weren't the most deserving team of the NC in 1964. AP and UPI polls notwithstanding, given that they were the only undefeated team after the bowl games, I'd strongly tend to agree with them

 

[WP76]

I don't think there is any direct evidence of DKR bigotry. It's mostly inferred by those who disliked him.

The African American high schools in Texas had their own, segregated organization for competition until the late 60's. I believe it was called PVIL.

There were certainly intergrated schools before that. Warren McVay became a legend in San Antonio before going to UHouston.

But Royal's personal views had less impact on how Texas recruited, than the school's academic leadership. The same accusations were made against Bear Bryant. There was likely some justification for the accusation for both. But both would have preferred the best players they could recruit. But there were a multitude of other factors.

Maybe most important was the sad fact that black kids in Texas, for a variety of reasons, received inferior public educations in that time frame.

In Plano, integration at the high school level came in 1964. It's not a coincidence that the school's first state title came a year later. We had several high quality black athletes. The first to get a football scholarship went to OU, after a year at juco. He started his first game, didn't perform up to expectations, didn't play much after, and left school shortly after the 1968 season. Because of a poor elementary education, he never really caught up academically. That was a very common tale.

Prentiss Gautt jumped through a lot of hoops, starting without a football scholarship at OU, because of African American professionals in OKC. He was successful at both because he was a very bright man.

Texas recruited Whittier because he was a quality student. Same with Jerry Levias earlier at SMU.

The inherent racism at UT in the 60's and before had a whole lot more to do with Texas not recruiting a black athlete until the late 60's. Accusations of racism get tossed around way too often. If you want to call Royal a racist, you ought to have specific evidence of a personal racist act, rather than your personal inferences based on the institutional racism of his employer.

I'd agree unless the stories are true that Royal actually told white Texas recruits not to go to OU because the Sooners have black football players.

 

[iasooner1]

Bryant didn't need black players until after the 4est Gump years

 

[Plainosooner]

I'd agree unless the stories are true that Royal actually told white Texas recruits not to go to OU because the Sooners have black football players.

I was a manager in the Sooner football program from 69 to 73. I never head that sort of talk from any player. Not saying that it's untrue. But I knew enough guys from Texas pretty well, that I'd guess I'd have heard that from somebody. Those guys were recruited from 65 til 72. Of course Texas had integrated the same year as the Pruitt-Wylie-Brahaney class.

Maybe Royal only said that to the guys who went to UT, because they had that point of view. The other possibility was that I heard it, but in 50 years, forgot what I heard. But I doubt the latter.

I knew Jack Mildren pretty well. I know from articles, not conversation, that he went to OU because he wanted to go somewhere, where he could beat Texas, and win a national championship. But I also knew from conversation that the SWC coach he disliked the most was Hayden Fry. I believe that if Jack had been told that by DKR, he'd have told me. I think the biggest factor in Jack going to OU, certainly large if not THE most important, was that his hs coach was a great player in Norman.